Recreational hunting in Italy: the 2025/26 season threatens wildlife

Liguria, Lombardy, Campania and the Province of Trento have this year again issued partly contentious special regulations for hobby hunters: in October and November finches and starlings are to be permitted for hunting – species that are actually protected under the EU Birds Directive 2009/147/EC.

The Commission and environmental associations are already preparing legal steps. Back in June, the Conference of the Regions released 581’000 finches nationwide for recreational hunting – a decision that critics regard as an open disregard of earlier rulings by the European Court of Justice.

Hunting in mountain passes possible once again

Particularly contentious is the law on the «promotion of mountain regions» adopted on 12 September. It relaxes the previously applicable hunting ban within a 1’000-metre radius around mountain passes – zones that are traditionally important corridors for migratory birds. Instead of comprehensive protection, only a five-day hunting ban per week now applies in January. At the same time, parliament is redefining «mountain passes» so that lower-lying areas can in future also be hunted. Conservationists warn of a massive expansion of hunting stations and an increased danger for migratory birds of European and international interest.

Weakened enforcement

While regional administrative courts in Veneto and the Marche have halted parts of their hunting calendars under pressure from environmental organisations, the state supervisory bodies remain thinly staffed. Since the "Madia Decree" of 2015, hunting patrols have been drastically reduced and personnel were never replaced. Illegal hunting and violations are thus difficult to prosecute.

Meanwhile, the political majority in the Roman parliament is working on a further weakening of the framework law on hunting. The current draft law No. 1552 provides for:

• easing the use of live decoys,
• reducing the proportion of nature parks,
• permitting night vision devices (previously banned under the Bern Convention),
• opening state forests to hunting, and
• abolishing the previous obligation to choose an exclusive form of hunting.

Environmentalists speak of a "free pass for hunting tourism" that promotes hunting nomadism and puts wild animals throughout Italy under pressure.

Between lobby interests and natural heritage

With 450’000 registered recreational hunters, Italy is one of the most hunting-intensive countries in Europe. Critics see the current trend not as sustainable wildlife management, but as an increasingly industrial, consumption-oriented exploitation of nature. "Hunting is developing into an alien element in rural areas," warns a spokeswoman for WWF Italy. "What is defended as tradition is often nothing more than an anachronistic pastime with serious consequences for our ecosystems," writes LAC in a press release.

Autumn 2025 could thus become a litmus test for Italy's nature conservation – and for the question of whether European legal norms actually hold up in times of powerful lobby interests.

Photo and video by LAC

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